Graduates of Montana State University earn median 4-year earnings of $65,157, placing Montana State University in the 69.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $3,183 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Montana State University in the 70.7 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Montana State University #469 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Montana State University's concentration in engineering and applied fields. Business/Commerce, General is the largest program with 292 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $71,578, performing at 1.0x the national benchmark for the field. The Nursing program graduates 261 students with median 4-year earnings of $76,146, and Mechanical Engineering delivers median 4-year earnings of $88,653 for 179 graduates. Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General and Psychology, General round out the top programs, with graduates earning $52,702 and $53,623 respectively. The dominance of Engineering — which accounts for a substantial share of degrees — helps explain the institution's above-average earnings outcomes and consistent performance relative to peer institutions.
Graduates of Montana State University earn median 4-year earnings of $65,157, placing Montana State University in the 69.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $3,183 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Montana State University in the 70.7 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Montana State University #469 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Montana State University's concentration in engineering and applied fields. Business/Commerce, General is the largest program with 292 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $71,578, performing at 1.0x the national benchmark for the field. The Nursing program graduates 261 students with median 4-year earnings of $76,146, and Mechanical Engineering delivers median 4-year earnings of $88,653 for 179 graduates. Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General and Psychology, General round out the top programs, with graduates earning $52,702 and $53,623 respectively. The dominance of Engineering — which accounts for a substantial share of degrees — helps explain the institution's above-average earnings outcomes and consistent performance relative to peer institutions.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
Lower quartile, 10-year field
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates of Montana State University earn median 4-year earnings of $65,157, placing Montana State University in the 69.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $3,183 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Montana State University in the 70.7 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Montana State University #469 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Montana State University's concentration in engineering and applied fields. Business/Commerce, General is the largest program with 292 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $71,578, performing at 1.0x the national benchmark for the field. The Nursing program graduates 261 students with median 4-year earnings of $76,146, and Mechanical Engineering delivers median 4-year earnings of $88,653 for 179 graduates. Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General and Psychology, General round out the top programs, with graduates earning $52,702 and $53,623 respectively. The dominance of Engineering — which accounts for a substantial share of degrees — helps explain the institution's above-average earnings outcomes and consistent performance relative to peer institutions.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Montana State University's program mix is anchored in engineering and applied technical fields—a portfolio shaped by the institution's land-grant research-university identity and regional economic context. Business/Commerce, General is the largest program with 292 graduates, followed by Nursing, Mechanical Engineering, Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General, and Psychology, General. Across 0 ranked programs serving roughly 2,607 students annually, several deliver strong four-year earnings outcomes aligned with Montana's workforce demand. The earnings pattern reflects strength in applied engineering and technical fields. Computer Science leads with median earnings of $111,728 four years after enrollment across 100 graduates, followed by Mechanical Engineering with $88,653 and Chemical Engineering with $87,590. Nursing and Business/Commerce, General round out the highest-earning cohorts, demonstrating consistent payoff in fields where regional employers actively recruit. These outcomes correspond to Montana State University's concentration in Engineering—a field where Montana's natural-resource industries, construction sector, and technology employers create sustained demand for graduates. The program portfolio balances high-mobility direct-to-workforce pathways in engineering and applied technology with foundational fields where some graduates continue to graduate or professional study. The supply and demand for college graduates provides context for how Montana State University's dominant program families align with regional and national labor-market trends, particularly in sectors where land-grant universities traditionally serve as primary talent pipelines.
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Montana State University earn median 4-year earnings of $65,157, placing Montana State University in the 69.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $3,183 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Montana State University in the 70.7 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Montana State University #469 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Montana State University's concentration in engineering and applied fields. Business/Commerce, General is the largest program with 292 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $71,578, performing at 1.0x the national benchmark for the field. The Nursing program graduates 261 students with median 4-year earnings of $76,146, and Mechanical Engineering delivers median 4-year earnings of $88,653 for 179 graduates. Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General and Psychology, General round out the top programs, with graduates earning $52,702 and $53,623 respectively. The dominance of Engineering — which accounts for a substantial share of degrees — helps explain the institution's above-average earnings outcomes and consistent performance relative to peer institutions.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
